Washington, DC does not run a state-mandated short-term disability insurance program. Instead, DC short-term disability coverage comes from two sources that work together: the District’s Universal Paid Leave program, which pays partial wages during a serious health condition or family event, and private short-term disability insurance policies that many workers carry on top. DC law protects most private policies from being reduced when a worker also collects paid leave, so the two benefits can usually be stacked.
What DC Paid Family Leave Pays
The Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016 created DC Paid Family Leave (PFL), administered by the Department of Employment Services. It isn’t labeled short-term disability, but for a worker recovering from surgery, an injury, childbirth, or a serious illness, it does the same job.
Eligible workers can receive up to 12 weeks of paid leave within a 52-week period. Qualifying reasons include treatment or recovery from the worker’s own serious health condition, bonding with a new child within 12 months of birth or placement, caring for a family member with a serious health condition, and up to 2 weeks of prenatal leave for pregnancy-related appointments or complications. A pregnant worker can combine prenatal and parental leave for a maximum of 14 weeks in a single 52-week period.1Paychex. Washington DC Paid Family Leave The one-week unpaid waiting period that once applied was eliminated for all claims filed on or after July 25, 2022.2D.C. Law Library. DC Code Section 32-541.04
PFL replaces up to 90 percent of a worker’s average weekly wage, calculated from the highest four of the five calendar quarters before the qualifying event. Higher earners get 90 percent up to a set threshold plus 50 percent of earnings above it, capped at a weekly maximum. For fiscal year 2026, the maximum weekly benefit is $1,190, and the cap is currently adjusted annually for inflation.3DC Fiscal Policy Institute. Cuts to DCs Paid Leave Program Will Harm District Residents
One thing PFL does not do on its own is protect your job. That protection comes from a separate law, if any applies to your situation.4First Shift Justice Project. DC Paid Family Leave FAQ
Who Qualifies and Who Pays
To be eligible, a worker must spend the majority of their work time in Washington, DC, for a covered employer. Eligibility is portable across DC jobs, so wages from previous DC employers count. Self-employed people who do at least half their work in the District can opt in.1Paychex. Washington DC Paid Family Leave
Funding comes entirely from employers through a payroll tax of 0.75 percent of wages, a rate that took effect July 1, 2024, up from 0.26 percent. Employers cannot pass any of this cost through to workers’ paychecks.1Paychex. Washington DC Paid Family Leave Every DC private employer that pays unemployment insurance taxes participates and cannot opt out, though they may layer supplemental private plans on top.5OnPay. Paid Family Leave in the District of Columbia
How to File a Paid Leave Claim
Claims go through the DOES Office of Paid Family Leave. The online benefits portal at does.pflbas.dc.gov is the fastest route; the PFL contact center at (202) 899-3700 is the phone option for anyone who can’t apply online.6DC Paid Family Leave. Apply for DC Paid Family Leave
What you need to submit depends on the type of leave:
- Medical leave requires a Medical Certification Form (PFL-MMC) completed by a health care provider.
- Parental leave requires documentation showing the child’s name, your name, and the date of birth or placement.
- Family leave requires a Family Medical Certification Form (PFL-FMC) and a Certification of Family Relationship (PFL-FR).
- Prenatal leave requires a Prenatal Leave Medical Certification Form (PFL-PMC).
DOES contacts the applicant within 10 business days of submission, reviews the claim, and notifies the employer. Approved payments are issued biweekly by direct deposit or prepaid debit card.6DC Paid Family Leave. Apply for DC Paid Family Leave Give your employer written notice as far ahead as you can — at least 10 days for foreseeable leave, and before the start of a shift for anything unforeseeable.7D.C. Law Library. Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016
Stacking Private Short-Term Disability on Top of PFL
Because PFL replaces only part of your wages and caps at $1,190 per week, many workers carry private short-term disability insurance to fill the gap. The natural question is whether a private insurer can reduce your disability check because you’re also drawing DC paid leave. For most workers, the answer is no.
Since October 1, 2021, DC law has barred short-term disability insurers from offsetting or reducing benefits based on what a claimant receives, or is projected to receive, from DC Paid Family Leave. The rule applies regardless of the state where the policy was issued.8D.C. Law Library. DC Code Section 31-2231.20a A worker with both a private policy and PFL eligibility can collect from both at the same time, even if the combined total exceeds 100 percent of regular pay.9SHRM. October Brings Changes to Washington DC Leave Laws
There is one important exception. The anti-offset rule does not apply to self-insured employers, or to insurance companies acting as third-party administrators for a self-insured plan.8D.C. Law Library. DC Code Section 31-2231.20a A self-insured employer pays disability benefits from its own funds instead of buying a policy from a carrier, and it can still include offset clauses that reduce its payments when you also collect PFL.10Constant Contact. Short-Term Disability Insurance Benefit Protection Clarification If you’re not sure which kind of plan you have, read the policy language or ask your HR department.
Short-Term Disability for DC Government Employees
Workers employed by the District government have access to a separate voluntary short-term disability plan through Standard Insurance Company. The employee pays the full premium through payroll deduction.11DCHR. Short Term Disability Coverage Highlights
The plan pays 66⅔ percent of insured predisability earnings, up to a weekly maximum of $1,385, for up to 180 days. You’re considered disabled if a physical disease, injury, pregnancy, or mental disorder keeps you from performing the material duties of your occupation and causes a loss of at least 20 percent of predisability earnings.12The Standard. Voluntary Short Term Disability
The standard waiting period before benefits start is 20 days. Late enrollees, meaning those who sign up more than 31 days after first becoming eligible, face a 60-day waiting period for the first 12 months of coverage for anything other than accidental injury.11DCHR. Short Term Disability Coverage Highlights Eligibility covers permanent bargaining and non-bargaining staff working at least 20 hours per week. Temporary and seasonal workers are excluded. You can enroll during annual open enrollment, within 31 days of hire, or after a qualifying life event such as marriage or the birth of a child.13DCHR. FAQ Benefits and Retirement Administration DC Public Schools employees have access to the same plan on the same terms.14DC Public Schools. DCPS Short Term and Long Term Disability
How PFL Fits With Job Protection and Other Leave
Paid Family Leave gives you wages. Job protection is a separate question. It may come from the federal FMLA, which covers employers with 50 or more employees within 75 miles and requires 12 months of employment and 1,250 hours worked, or from the DC Family and Medical Leave Act, which covers employers with 20 or more employees and requires one year of employment and 1,000 hours. When your leave qualifies under both PFL and one of these job-protection laws, the leave runs concurrently.15DOES. OPFL Leave Comparison Chart
You can collect private short-term disability at the same time as PFL under the anti-offset rule. Accrued sick or annual leave can also be used during the same period, but whether employer-provided paid leave can run at the same time as PFL depends on the employer’s own policy.15DOES. OPFL Leave Comparison Chart Employers must keep health insurance in place on the same terms while any of these leaves are running.
When Short-Term Coverage Isn’t the Right Answer
PFL and private short-term disability policies are built for temporary conditions. If a disability is expected to last at least 12 months or result in death, the relevant federal programs are Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), administered by the Social Security Administration. You can apply online at ssa.gov, by phone at (800) 772-1213, or in person at one of DC’s three Social Security offices.16DC Department on Disability Services. How to Apply for Social Security Disability and SSI Benefits The medical determination for DC claims is handled by the District’s Disability Determination Division, which returns its decision to SSA.17DC Department on Disability Services. Social Security Disability Determination Federal disability benefits do not cover partial or short-term disabilities.